vietor



N0. 6|8,59l. Patented Ian. 3|, I899. A. VIETOR.

MEANS FOR LOIIHJMOTH'JRL (Application filed. Dec. 22, 1697.)

4 Sheets-Sheet I.

( No Model.)

(No Model.)

Patanted Jan. 3|, I899.

A. VIETUR.

MEANS FOR LOGOMOTION.

(Appliction filed Dec. 22, 1897.)

4 8haets-Sheat 2.

"m2 wonms PETERS co. wo'ro-Lmw.v msumown, n. c.

No. 618,59l.

(No Model.)

YA.VIETOR.

MEANS FOR LOCOMOTION.

(Application filed Dec: 22, 1897.)

4 Sheets-Sheet 3.

Patented Jan. 3|, I899.

FFICE.

PATENT ALWIN VIETOR, OF WIESBADEN, GERMANY.

MEANS FOR LOCOMOTIO'N.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 618,591, dated January31, 1899. Application fil d December 22,1897. Serial No. 663,037. (Nomodel.)

To all whmn it may concern:

Be it known that I, ALWIN YIETOR, a subject of the German Emperor, and aresident of Wiesbaden, Germany, have invented certain new and usefulImprovements in Means for Locomotion; and I do hereby declare thefollowing to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention,such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains tomake and use the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawings,and to letters and figures of reference marked thereon, which form apart of this specification.

This invention renders it possible to mechanically transfer personsbetween a stationary fixed platform on the one hand and a secondcontinuously-moving platform or to a gangway which can be applied to arailwaycarriage or other vehicle in motion on the other hand. Thearriving and departing persons for this purpose only need to step fromtheir standpoint onto a stand or seat which is at the same heightdirectly in front of or near them and is for the time being ina relativestationary condition, which stand or seat is mechanically moved to andfro with a gradual and continuous alternation of velocity from one tothe other of the two platforms and is arranged on a rolling disk orwheel which describes a cycloidal curve. If the disk is circular and thetrack on which it rolls is a circle or a straight line, all points onthe circumference of the disk describe cycloidal curves. If the track onwhich it rolls is a curve built up of circular arcs of different radiusor a curve of other kind, cycloidal forms or curves of a complicatednature are described. Each time a generating-point coincides with thepoint of contact of the Wheel or disk with the track a reversing-pointoccurs in the course or locus of the cycloid. The velocity of the pointis here equal to zero. From onereversing-point to the next,corresponding to a complete circumference of a rolling disk or Wheel,the velocity of the point on the periphery of the disk describing acycloid varies continuously with a uniform rolling of the disk or Wheel,since it increases gradually in the first half of the track up to doublethe velocity. of the motion of translation of the center of the disk andthen gradually decreases again to zero in the second half of the track.The envelop curve contains the points of the cycloid of greatestvelocity, together with those of the cycloids described by theperipheral points of the rolling disk. If the track on which the diskrolls is a circle, the envelop is a circle concentric therewith. If thetrack is a straight line, the envelop is a straight line parallelthereto. These two simplest cases are the most suitable in practice forthe purpose in view.

In the accompanying drawings,which illustrate the invention, Figure 1 isa plan of part of a stationary platform, of part of a rotating platformconcentrically surrounding the same, and a circular disk .or wheelarranged between the two platforms; Fig. 1 a part of a modification ofthe arrangement. Fig. 2 shows, half in vertical section and half in sideelevation, a roundabout with my cycloidal platform applied thereto. Fig.3 is partly a plan, and partly a horizontal section of Fig. 2. Fig. 4 isa plan showing a modification in which the stationary and the movingplatforms are straight and parallel to each other, while between the twoplatforms are arranged two horizontal disks or wheels connected togetherinto one moving system by means of rods. Fig. 5, finally, is an endelevation, partly in vertical'section; and Fig. 6, a side elevationshowing a modification in which two disks or wheels connected togetherinto a moving system are arranged perpendicu-,

larly andthe stationary platform lies lower than the moving platform.

The edge of the circular fixed platform A, Fig. 1, is the track orsurface on which the disk rolls. The periphery of the circular disk orwheel Bis the rollingsurface or curve. The edge of the outer movingplatform C is the envelop. The disk B transmits the persons or goodsbetween A and C, while A is stationary and 0 moves. Between A and 0beneath the disk B lies a cover-ring D.

Both between A and B, as well as between B and O, sliding or slipping ofthe rolling surfaces relatively to each other can be completelyprevented by providing teeth thereon, as shown in Fig. 1. Then thepoints 19 1) b b of the disk or wheel B successively coincide with thepoints a a. a a of the platform A, while at the same time thediametrically opposite points 19 b b b on the periphery of the diskcoincide with the points 0 c c c on the moving platform 0, which advancein the same direction as that in which the disk rolls. In this motionthe point 011 the periphery of the disk describes, for example, thecycloid 0 l 2 3, in which 0 and S are reversing and consequentlystandstill points, while 4 is the point of greatest velocity.

While the point moves from O to 4 the arcs or sections b, 1) b b and b bof the disk B roll over the corresponding arcs (t a, a a (6 66 21161 0:ct on the track A. At the same time the arcs or sections 11 19 b b, 1) band b b of the disk B roll on O, corresponding to the arcs 0 c 0 c, 0 cand c c thereon. Consequently the point 0 on 0 moves onto the point 4 ofthe cycloid, while the disk B rolls on A from a to a Consequentlyinorder for any one to pass from a to C during the rotary motion of theplatform 0 one steps on 19 from B at the moment when the rolling disk Btouches the point a of A and then remains on the stand or seat arrangedsomewhere thereon, and after the disk B has rolled through a distanceequivalent to half its circumference will consequently be at thecycloid-point 4 opposite to the point a and close to the point a of themoving platform C, which has moved forward in the meantime. The personhere has the same velocity as this point 0 and can therefore step overfrom B to C as conveniently and securely as he stepped from Ato B.Moreover, in order for any one to pass out at c from the moving platformCat the moment when the rolling disk B (remaining stationary relativelyto the platform 0) touches the point (5 of C, and consequently at thepoint 4 of the cycloid, one steps onto B and remains on a stand or seatprovided thereon at b du ring the rolling thereof through ahalf-circumference until at the cycloid-point She will be momentarilystationary directly opposite the point a of A. He can accordingly herestep onto A. In this manner it is possible to pass over from all pointsof the edge of the stationary platform A to all corresponding points ofthe edge of the moving platform 0, and inversely, the persons beingcarried through an arc of a cycloid while they are on the disk B.

The size of the disk B has to be made, generally speaking, so as tocorrespond with the velocity of the moving platform 0.

If a single disk B is not sufficient at one arrival-and-departu replatform of the kind described for effecting the transfer of passengersbetween the fixed platform and the moving platform, and consequentlybetween the platform and a carriage, two disks can be united to form apair by means of a chain-like band passingaround both and carryingstands or seats. In this manner a pause or stay of the stands or seatsat the edges of the plat forms A and C is obtained in order tofacilitate passing over. It can be adapted for rendering possible themounting and dismounting from the ring R of a roundabout which runsuninterruptedly, Figs. 2 and 3. For this purpose a platform C isarranged on the inside of a ring R, provided with seats, so as to runtherewith. Opposite to and concentric with this is arranged the fixedplatform A at the same height around the center of the roundabout. Intothe middle thereof the passengers enter and leave by a staircase. Thecover-ring D, between A and B, carries at two places transfer-disks Band B the rolling diameter of which is equal to the distance between Aand C. Around the two disks is arranged an endless link-shaped band E,the remaining part of which lies over the edges of the platforms A andC, forming the rollertrack. This band E, for which the necessary room isleft, is provided throughout its whole length with seats F. At the sametime care is taken in arranging the chain that only rolling of the disksB and B on the edges of A and C can take place. The roundabout ring R,together with the platform 0 and the coverring D, can run on ring-shapedrails, while the disks B and B turn about pins or studshafts secured tothe ring D. The link, band, or chain E is geared to the disks B and Bsaid disks being constructed in the form of sprocket-wheels the teeth ofwhich engage the band or chain links. The seats F are secured to saidchain in any suitable or wellknown manner, as by means of joint-bolts orthe like. The platforms A C may be provided with edge recesses for thechain-links or a part thereof to move in. The rolling motion of thedisks B B may be imparted thereto from the platforms C and A, which forthis purpose are provided with a toothed rim in gear with a toothedwheel on the spindle of the wheels B B below said disks, as shown inFig. l, wherebya positive rotation or rolling motion is imparted to saiddisks.

As soon as either the roundabout-ring R or the cover-ring D or one orboth disks B are set in rotation, which can be effected by any externalpower, the other parts mentioned are caused to move therewith. Theperipheral points of the two disks, and consequently also the parts ofthe chain E lying at the circumference thereof and the seats F, so faras these are not at rest directly at the edge of A or are moving in acircular path at the edge of the platform (J at the same velocity, movetogether with the passengers thereon going from A or from O in cycloidalpaths, according to Fig. 1. If the rotation takes place in the directionof the arrow, those on B are entering (going toward 0) and those on Bare leaving, (going toward A.) Both over R and C, as also over thecover-ring D, as also over A, is provided a common roof running aroundwith D.

If the fixed platform A and movable platform C are straight, Fig. 4, thetwo transferdisks B and B are connected to form a moving system by meansof a rod S, which engages with pins at the centers of the disks, and areso arranged that they roll with their periphery on the directly oppositeedges of the platforms A and C. On a second rod or bar T can be mountedseats F, the said rod or bar engaging at its ends with pins arranged onthe rolling circles of the disks. The arriving and departing passengerscan enter or leave at any part of this rod or bar T, since all pointsthereof describe cycloidal curves. This arrangement is particularlysuitable for elevated railways, as shown in Figs. 5 and 6. Thetransfer-disks B and B are here in a perpendicular position, and theplane of the rod or bar T is arranged at right angles to the plane ofthe disks B B The transfer from A to B and from B to C, and inversely,has no difficulties in this case, also, if in the rolling motion theperipheral points B, and consequently also the stands or seats mountedon B, (or on-the chain or band passing round the two disks B, as in thearrangement shown in Fig. 3,) move forward or backward toward A or Gwith a moderate velocity, remaining below one meter per second.Likewise, also, one can pass out from the moving platform 0 onto avehicle moving along in immediate proximity to the outer edge thereof ifthe velocities of the two differ from one another by less than one meterper second. For safety and convenience in passing across from one to theother these diiferences in velocity mustbe reduced as much as possible.

If the open space between A and C on both sides of B be covered over toprevent persons from falling from the edges of A, B, or O to the groundat the bottom, the cover-ring D must move forward during the rolling ofthe disks B at the same rate. The upper surface of this ring can, ifdesired, be provided with a movable platform, of one or more discoidalplatforms for the transfer of passengers, and having a cycloidal motionbetween the aforesaid stationary and movable platforms, for the purposeset forth.

2. The combination with a stationary and a movable platform and aplurality of intergeared discoidal platforms for the transfer ofpassengers and having a cycloidal motion between the aforesaidstationary and movable platforms, for the purpose set forth.

3. The combination with a stationary and a movable platform equidistantfrom each other, and disks having a positive rolling motion between andalong the proximate edges of said platforms; of a ring-cover between theproximate edges of said platforms, on

which cover said disks are revolubly mounted, for the purpose set forth.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing as my inventionlhave signed myname in presence of two subscribing witnesses.

ALWIN VIETOR.

Witnesses:

MAX WESTMANN, MAX 0. STAEHLER.

